William Gerber, MD. Appointed CEO at SynGen Inc.

SACRAMENTO, Calif., June 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- SynGen Inc., a company focused on the development and commercialization of instrument systems that harvest stem and progenitor cells from umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, peripheral blood, and cell culture, announced today that Dr. William Gerber has been appointed CEO to replace co-founder and lead inventor Philip Coelho. 

Mr. Coelho, who will become the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of SynGen, noted "Bud Barry, my business partner and co-founder, and I are gratified that Dr. Gerber has agreed to lead this company during this next critical phase of our development. Bill's experience includes nine years as an Investment Partner with Bay City Capital and nearly twenty years as a biotech executive focused on technology development and commercialization.  I have worked with Bill extensively over the last two years and he has the energy, skills, and temperament needed to lead the company as we launch our advanced cell processing products."

Dr. Gerber, who previously served as Executive Chairman of the Board, said "I am very excited about the potential of the company's products to advance the field of regenerative medicine.  Phil is a recognized innovator in cord blood processing, having developed the AXP and BioArchive Systems at Thermogenesis.  The SynGenX line of products offers improved cell recovery, purity and viability to cord blood banks, and to the broader research, clinical and cell processing markets.  We are already in discussions with potential strategic partners to assure that our products are made available to customers worldwide."

The SynGen devices include:

• SynGenX^TM-1000: A programmable Control Module, Docking Station and Disposable Cartridge used in the cGMP harvesting of the buffy coat, which contains the stem and progenitor cells, from units of placental cord blood.
• CryoPRO Cryopreservation and Storage Bag Sets:  A disposable processing set for the cryogenic preparation and storage of the buffy coat.
• CryoPRO Workstation: A laboratory device for managing the rate of addition of cryoprotectant and monitoring the temperature of the buffy coat.
• SynGenX^TM-2000:  A programmable Control Module, Docking Station and Disposable Cartridge used in the harvesting of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) from peripheral blood or a mixture of blood and bone marrow aspirate
• SynGen™ DataTrak: The clinical software system that downloads vital processing data from the Control Module and the CryoPRO Workstation to the operator's computer for inclusion in medical or manufacturing records.
• SynGenX^TM-Lab:  A laboratory device for the isolation and harvest of specific cell fractions from blood or bone marrow.
• SynGen^TM CellWashPRO:  A semi-automated laboratory device for washing expanded cell populations.    

Earlier, the Company received EN ISO 13485:2003 Certification and market clearance in all countries accepting CE-Mark for its SynGenX-1000 and SynGenX-2000 product lines.  The SynGenX-2000 is not available for sale in the U.S.

About ISO certification
ISO 13485:2003 is an internationally recognized Quality Management system for the design and manufacturing of medical devices. The certification confirms that SynGen has successfully implemented a quality management system that complies to the exacting standards of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for medical devices.

About CE marking
The CE-Mark for medical devices indicates that the device is designed and manufactured in accordance to the Essential Requirements of the Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC ANNEX I and that the device can be legally introduced into commerce in EEC countries accepting CE-Mark.

About SynGen
SynGen advances regenerative medicine and other emerging applications for high-value cells by providing researchers, clinicians and manufacturers with innovative, robust systems that improve the recovery, purity and viability of stem and other clinically important cells from umbilical cord blood, peripheral blood, bone marrow and cell culture.

For more information about SynGen, visit the company's website at www.syngeninc.com.

Company Contact
Lee Asplund, Director of Sales and Marketing
Phone: 916-706-0923
Email: [email protected]

SOURCE SynGen Inc.